Retro Rock Roundup with Mike and Jeremy Wiles
Jun 9, 2026 · 49 min · 9 segments
Why was Paul McCartney's 1986 album Press To Play such a critical and commercial failure? Mike and special guest Michael Bagford give us their thoughts on this Much Maligned Album!!
Mike WilesHostMichael BagfordGuestHow would you say the album's come out? On first hearing, it seems a little less commercial than Broad Street was.
I never know.
You know, I can never tell, like, what's overtly commercial, what isn't.
I mean, you know, it de- depends who's buying, really, you know, as to what's commercial.
Um, I don't, I don't like to try and really be very commercial because, um, I think it'd all be a bit Eurovision if, if every single track was a kind of real snappy, catchy hit.
[rock music] Gotta turn your sound up for Retro Rock Roundup.
Gotta turn your sound up for Retro Rock Roundup.
Yeah.

I wanna thank you for tuning in and turning your sound up, and this is gonna be a fun episode today 'cause we are joined in the Retro Rock Roundup Zoom studio, a return guest.

He's been with us before to talk Dave Matthews and other things, uh, but he's coming from the state of Ohio.

Um, but today we are doing another one of our much maligned album series, and we're gonna be digging into an album that was by a former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, and his album from 1986, Press to Play.
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How would you say the album's come out? On first hearing, it seems a little less commercial than Broad Street was.
I never know.
You know, I can never tell, like, what's overtly commercial, what isn't.
I mean, you know, it de- depends who's buying, really, you know, as to what's commercial.
Um, I don't, I don't like to try and really be very commercial because, um, I think it'd all be a bit Eurovision if, if every single track was a kind of real snappy, catchy hit.
[rock music] Gotta turn your sound up for Retro Rock Roundup.
Gotta turn your sound up for Retro Rock Roundup.
Yeah.

I wanna thank you for tuning in and turning your sound up, and this is gonna be a fun episode today 'cause we are joined in the Retro Rock Roundup Zoom studio, a return guest.

He's been with us before to talk Dave Matthews and other things, uh, but he's coming from the state of Ohio.

Um, but today we are doing another one of our much maligned album series, and we're gonna be digging into an album that was by a former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, and his album from 1986, Press to Play.